HSMs | Running Lines at Stepinac’s “Evita”

Dropped by the beehive of activity known as the Major Bowes Auditorium at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains yesterday and chatted with members of the cast of “Evita,” the second consecutive Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to grace this stage.

Last year it was the Metro Award best overall production-winning “Phantom of the Opera,” but this year it’s based on historical figures, a fact that the cast said gave them a wealth of information upon which to build their characters.

As Stepinac is an all-boys school, they draft talented actresses from across the Lower Hudson Valley. Nicole Heney, a memorable Christine from “Phantom” last year, is back as Peron’s Mistress. And Jessica Lynch, a standout at Briarcliff for years, stepped in less than a month ago to play Eva, after Harrison’s Halle Mastroberardino bowed out, citing a need for vocal rest.

It was great to see Halle at rehearsal yesterday, still involved in the show, assisting choreographer Charlotte Newman.

Here’s the Running Lines video I shot yesterday. I figured the black-and-white was appropriate, given the historical subject matter.

Pete has loved theater his whole life, ever since he played Santa Claus in third grade at Palisades Elementary School. A Rockland County native and an employee of The Journal News for more than two decades, Pete now alerts theater lovers to the possibilities and talks to artists young and old about their craft.